New Zealand-India Education Week drives innovation in education
New Delhi: Education New Zealand kick-started the inaugural New Zealand-India Education Week today, featuring leaders of the Indian and New Zealand education sectors.
The education week aims to discuss top trends that will drive the future of the education sector globally in the post COVID-19 era. The week presented exclusive panel discussions featuring some of the prominent names in the education industry from New Zealand and India. The subsequent days showcased specialist Masterclasses run by expert academia from New Zealand universities; engaging open house with Indian alumni and an exciting showcase of New Zealand’s indegenious Māori culture.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the NZ-India week, HE Mr. David Pine, New Zealand High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador Designate to Nepal said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, with the United Nations identifying nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries as being affected. However, the crisis has also stimulated innovation within the education sector. We have seen innovative approaches in support of education and training globally.”
“I would like to congratulate all of the participants for the innovative use of technology to continue the conversation on education, research and careers. I am optimistic that the education week will help strengthen the ties between both countries and set a strong foundation for further collaborations between institutions in both countries,” added Mr Pine.
The inaugural day also featured two panel discussions on the following topical themes:
Redefining Education in Times of Crisis, attended by prominent education leaders Prof. Jan Thomas, Vice Chancellor, Massey University; Brett Berquist, International Director, University of Auckland; Prof. Dishan Kamdar, Vice Chancellor, FLAME University; Dr Sunder Ramaswamy, Vice Chancellor, Krea University and Dr Indu Shahani, Founder & Chairperson Innovative Schools Union.
Digital Learning: The Future? Attended by eminent Edtech experts, Frances Valintine, Founder & CEO of The MindLab & Tech Future Lab; Kevin Lynch, Chief Development Officer, Up Education; Amit Goyal, Head – India & SEA, edX and Prashant Nanda from The Mint.
John Laxon, Education New Zealand’s Regional Director, Asia said “We are witnessing a significant shift as COVID-19 requires education systems to connect with students remotely, digitally, and in a learning style that is more customised to the individual student. New Zealand has led in this area, being assessed as the best English-language education system by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ‘Educating for the Future Index’.
This inaugural New Zealand-India education week reflects our commitment to our education relationships in India, and we look forward to welcoming back Indian academics and students when it is safe to do so.”